Power BI Paginated Reports

What are Power BI Paginated Reports?

Paginated reports in Power BI are pixel-perfect documents designed for printing or PDF generation. Unlike standard “Power BI reports” that are optimized for interactive data exploration, paginated reports are ideal for creating highly formatted, print-ready documents like financial statements, invoices, or operational reports.

Key Features

• Fixed layout: precise control over positioning
• Optimized for printing: as well as PDF export
• Support for complex layouts: e.g. page breaks and repeating headers
• Parameter-driven filtering: dynamic content per report
• Ability to handle large datasets: “infinite” scrolling and pagination

How to Create Paginated Reports in Power BI

Prerequisites

To create and use paginated reports, you need:

1. Power BI Report Builder (free download)
2. Power BI Premium capacity (P1-P5) or Premium Per User (PPU) license
3. Appropriate permissions in Power BI service

Step-by-Step Creation Process

1. Install Power BI Report Builder

   • Go to Microsoft’s official website and search for “Power BI Report Builder”
   • Click Download and select the latest version
   • Run the installer and follow the prompts
   • Launch Report Builder after installation

2. Design Your Report

   • In Report Builder, click “New Report” on the start screen
   • Select a template
     • Blank Report: for complete customization
     • Table or Matrix: for structured data layouts
     • Chart: for visual reports
   • In the Report Data pane on the left, click New > Data Source
   • Configure your data source connection details
   • Use the design surface to drag and drop report items from the ribbon

3. Add Data

   • In the Report Data pane, right-click Datasets > Add Dataset
   • Choose “Use a dataset embedded in my report”
   • Write your SQL query or use the Query Designer
   • Click Parameters to add report parameters
   • Test your query using the “Run” button
   • Drag fields from the dataset onto your report surface

4. Deploy to Power BI Service

   • Click File > Save As to save locally
   • Select Power BI Service as the destination
   • Choose your workspace from the dropdown
   • Click Save to publish
   • In Power BI Service, navigate to the report
   • Click Settings to configure data source credentials
   • Set up refresh schedules if needed

Comparison with Evidence Templated Pages

While Power BI Paginated Reports excel at traditional business reporting, Evidence’s templated pages offer a modern, developer-friendly approach to dynamic report generation.

Evidence Templated Pages Advantages

1. Code-First Approach

   • Write reports in Markdown and SQL
   • Version control with Git
   • Easy to review and collaborate

2. Flexible Deployment

   • Self-host for free
   • No premium licensing required
   • Platform-independent

3. Modern Development Experience

In Evidence, you can create paginated reports using templated pages - it just requires two markdown files.

1. Create an index page:

customers/index.md

```sql customers
select 
    customer_name,
    'customers/' + customer_name as link
from orders
```

<DataTable data={customers} link=link />

2. Create a templated page:

customers/[customer].md

```sql customer_details
select 
    customer_name,
    total_sales,
    region
from orders 
where customer_name = '${params.customer}'
```

<BarChart 
    data={customer_details} 
    x=region 
    y=total_sales 
/>

This generates a report for each customer automatically, with fast page loads and natural URL-based navigation for end-users - they dont have to learn how to use the tool.

Power BI Paginated Reports Advantages

1. Enterprise Integration

   • Seamless Microsoft ecosystem integration
   • Enterprise-grade security
   • Familiar to Power BI users

2. Print Optimization

   • Superior print layout control
   • Built-in export formats
   • Professional document generation

Best Practices for Paginated Reports

1. Performance Optimization

   • Use stored procedures for complex queries
   • Implement parameters efficiently
   • Consider data volume impact

2. Design Guidelines

   • Maintain consistent branding
   • Use appropriate page breaks
   • Consider print margins
   • Test across different export formats

3. Security and Sharing

   • Configure row-level security
   • Set up appropriate permissions
   • Test parameter restrictions

Evidence Templated Pages

Evidence Templated Pages are a modern, code-first alternative to Power BI Paginated Reports. They offer a more flexible and scalable approach to report generation, with a focus on modern development practices and a focus on the end-user experience.

See Evidence’s Templated Pages Documentation for more information.